


Danganronpa: Despair Ruling

by orphan_account



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Brainwashing, Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Fanganronpa, Gen, Hope's Peak Academy, Murder, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Plot Twists, Post-Canon, Post-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), canon characters interacting with oc's, it's more of a mystery than anything, meaning sudden jump-cuts to further ahead in the story, oc's interacting with canon characters, so some trials or murders will be skipped over, standard/typical dr violence, stuff from future side is brought up in this fic, subject of suicide is brought up in conversation, takes place a year or so after the events of d3 future side, there's surprisingly not that much mention of trials or killing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-17 18:57:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18104438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A young boy awakens in an old, run down building. He finds fifteen other students who are just as dazed and confused as he is. Suddenly, a strange bear appears and announces a "new and improved" killing game that's an imitation of the original, but with a few surprises added in. As students of the newly restored Hope's Peak Academy, they've all heard far too many horrific tales of murder and despair that is endured throughout the duration of this dreadful event. Despite this, how long would it take before someone caved in order to obtain freedom? With his one and only friend for solace he must survive through the killing game all while meeting mysterious figures who may just know a thing or two about how to put a stop to this copycat killing game.





	Danganronpa: Despair Ruling

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing for DR so this might not be the best but I just wanted to do something fun!
> 
> Also a few things to note before reading this:
> 
> -This takes place after Future Side, when Hope's Peak Academy was restored and Naegi takes over as the headmaster
> 
> -A lot of stuff from Future Side is mentioned/brought up so it might be best to have watched or have knowledge of it or it will get confusing, especially in later chapters
> 
> -This does take place in the canon timeline of DR but it's Post-Canon so eh does it really matter?
> 
> -OC's will be interacting with the canon characters a couple times. Idk if that's a problem but there's nothing super major so hopefully that's alright
> 
> -Comments, Kudos, and Feedback are always appreciated!

A high pitched ringing flooded his ears as he returned to consciousness once more, his world dark. The very first thing he was welcomed with, was a dreary ache in his stiffened joints. With grit teeth stirred slightly. Although he had just awoken, fight or flight had taken hold, and right now, his instincts were telling him to flee far, far away from whatever hellish nightmare he had ended up in.

_But where was he?_

He struggled to open his eyes. Even the slightest movement caused immeasurable pain to his sore body. His vision however, proved useless. When he saw the set of black splotches and blurred shapes, he realized two things. One, he was missing his glasses. And two, even if he had his glasses, it was doubtful they'd be of much use. As the shrill noise in his ears died away, something new could be picked up. At first he assumed it to be the ambience of the mystery location, but as it became clearer, there was no mistaking it. A set of voices that were hushed and distant at first became clearer the more the boy focused. His heart skipped a beat as he picked up on the tail end of the discussion. From what he could tell, there were only two people speaking, but that didn't mean there weren't others lurking around. Who were they? What did they want with him? Kidnappers? Arsonists? Oh god, was he about to be thrust into a hostage situation?

With a panicking mind, the young teen forced himself to his knees, a low groan escaping him. He choked and sputtered, musty air flooding his senses. After a short coughing fit, the final exchange couldn't have been heard any clearer:

"It'll all be over in due time. For now, you're going to assist me. Once I no longer have a use for you, you can do whatever you desire. Understood?" The question carried a bit of edge to the tactful grace of the first voice. It was young and prominent, almost distinct in the far back of his dreary mind.

The other voice, sounding slightly older, responded in a shaky breath. "Understood."

With that, footsteps echoed in opposite directions until they were no more. The young boy winced, eyes shut tight. He couldn't simply sit there and not be of any help. Action had to be taken. Despite the pain, his eyes shot back open. To his surprise, what he saw was almost normal in it's own right.

It was a large, towering building, age and decay having taken away it's once beautiful form years ago. Miscellaneous stains of unknown origins decorated the dark walls. The area was empty and dark, reminiscent of a warehouse. He turned his head to find a makeshift barrier propped against what he assumed were the windows. An unorganized mess of wooden boards and metal sheets were riveted into the frames and doors. His only chance of an exit was sealed off. At least, as far as he knew. It wasn't until he looked up from the debris covered floor when yet another peculiar sight called to him.   
  
Unconscious figures were sprawled out, just as he had been. Near the front of the room, was a small stage with a podium. The fixture must have been built in recently, because the fresh, clean wood did not match with the gloomy rot of the run down machinery around it. Cobwebs coated gears and industrial sized instruments that once held prime in their glory days. But now, they were little more than metal husks, wear and damage causing them to creak and moan.

"Wha-" He coughed again. Not only was his body sore, but now his voice too? None of this made any sense. Who were these people, and-

The teen noticed that these strangers, all of them, were students. They looked young for their age, close to his own. Some were even recognizable faces that he had passed by in the halls of Hope's Peak Academy. His heart dropped to his stomach, thinking of any logical reason for why this might be. Maybe it was a field trip gone wrong? Perhaps they had all taken a tour to some dusty old hovel and passed out because there was some kind of toxic mold in the building? That made sense, right? Then, why wasn't the class evacuated? Where were the ambulances? The police? Along with that, the students looked more as if they were placed on the floor precariously rather than the result of passing out.

A short gasp tumbled out from Tai, the students beginning to stir. He wasn't even a moment away from calling out to them when a hand rested on his shoulder. His shrill scream drowned out the voice.

"Tai?"

Upon hearing his name, Tai glanced over his shoulder. Relief flooded him as a warm, soft smile welcomed him. Another boy the same age as him with messy blonde hair outstretched a hand. "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah," He took the hand and pulled himself up. "Well actually, no. Maybe? I-I don't know!"

The blonde teen smiled. Even in this darkness Tai could spot those emerald colored eyes from a mile away. "Yeah, I dunno either. Hey do you now what this place is?”

"How would I know?" Tai snapped back.

The other boy frowned and pressed an index finger to the corner of his lip, head tilted as if he were studying his friend over. "You tell me Mister Ultimate Urban Explorer."

Tai rolled his eyes and instinctively dug into his back pocket to pull out his phone. It contained a GPS tracking system that always locked onto his location. He always brought it along, from the smallest cave to the highest building. His eyes widened when he was met with an empty space before frantically checking his pockets. " _My phone!_ Where’s my phone?"

"It's gone?"

"No it fell in the- _Yes it's gone Emille!_ That's it!" The dark haired teen lifted up his arms momentarily. "We're screwed, we're dead! We've been kidnapped by a bunch of cannibals!"

"Tai-"

"What?" He cringed from how harshly his voice had cracked. He swallowed dryly and rubbed his aching throat, looking at his friend with content. "How can we just s-sit here?" He rasped.

Emille toyed with one of the spike coated bracelets that adorned his wrists and shrugged. "Yeah, there's no way out. Searched the entire part of this building. It's a no-go. But hey, let's see what happens! We're in it for the ride, right?"

"First of all, this isn't a _‘ride’_ it's a do or die situation. Secondly, how is there no way out of this- _stupid factory?_ ”

"C'mon don't be like that!" Emille draped a sleeved arm over the taller's shoulder. "Besides, we gotta wait for the slowpokes to wake up. We can't just ditch em'."

In his panicked state, Tai hadn't actually thought of the others. He opened his mouth to reply, but instead turned his head back towards his peers. "Are these all...Hope's Peak Academy students?"

"Yep." Emille crossed his arms and joined Tai's side.

"H-How long have you been awake?"

"Uh-" Emille bit his bottom lip and glanced up, as if pondering the question. "From what I know I woke up first, and then poked around. No wait, actually I tried to wake you up first but you were out cold. By the way you probably have some bruising on your knees. Just a warning."

"Wait wh-" Tai grimaced at his friend. "Did you kick me to see if I'd wake up?"

The blonde shrugged. "Worth a shot."

_"No wonder my body feels like garbage!"_

"Hey I only messed with your knees, everything else is from the captor."

"The...captor...?" He questioned. How long had Tai truly been out? He tried desperately to recollect any memory before waking up here, but the more he thought about it, the more it gave him a migraine. Maybe it's best to think about it later once his mind is cleared from pain and worry. However long it was, happened to be plenty of time for Emille to gather all this information.

"Yeah," Emille picked away at the dirt beneath his nails. "Including us that makes sixteen, all Ultimates. This is a classic killing game we're dealing with."

Tai went silent, pupils widening in shock. Those words struck fear and misery in the hearts of everyone who attended the academy. They've heard a plethera of tales regarding Enoshima's despair filled game, leaving the students to be on guard at all times. Too many times had the headmaster recounted stories of his near death experiences, during and after the killing game. Tai gasped and grabbed Emille by the arms as something crossed his mind.

"The headmaster!" He exclaimed. "Once he realizes we're missing, h-he's sure to figure out that we've been launched into a killing game! The authorities will be contacted and- _Oh what am I saying there's no way this is a killing game!_ Junko Enoshima is _dead!_ Long dead! And so should despair!"

"Do you know nothing?"

Tai was slightly offended by the smug, condescending tone. "What?"

"This is some kind of copycat killing game, something to _imitate_ Junko's style. Then again, who knows what will be added into the game this time around.“

 _"Emille,"_ The other boy warned. "I-If you're holding back about knowing something- a-anything, you better fess up right now."

"I'm not, I'm not," Emile dejected. "I just took some time out of my day to research the killing game. After all, when I first arrived at Hope's Peak, I had no clue what our headmaster was on about. Poor guy, after I finally learned about this stuff, he must be traumatized for life."

"Shut up!" Tai growled, grabbing the collar of Emille's shirt. However, his gaze softened when his friend's shocked and hurt expression countered his aggressive glare. "I....I'm sorry." He released his grip. "But don't say things like that, okay? That isn't a joking matter."

"Sorry," Emille muttered. "It was a genuine curiosity, not a jab at the headmaster."

Sighing, Tai stepped back, letting the anger fade away. "Okay look, even if you _did_ your research, we still don't know if this is-"

Both of them paused. Slowly but surely, the rest of the students struggled to their feet, some clinging onto others for support. They looked just as bruised and sore as Tai did. One boy was even shaking terribly. A girl brushed her hair out of her face, panic immediately settling in as she cried out for an explanation. Yet, everyone was just as confused as she was, leaving her desperate pleas to no avail. A flurry of questions and accusations were tossed around in the dark, and soon the students bordered on becoming an angry mob as they pushed and shoved one another. Tai was about to step in and attempt to bring an end to the steadying chaos when the lights flicked on. Swinging high above them, were fixtures, the bulbs casting a flickering yellow glow. Although dim, the light was enough to disperse the tension between the students. Those who hadn't looked up were still calling out for an adult or some kind of authority to step in and tell them this was all a sick joke. That this was a lesson for the students who laid on the more rebellious side or had flunked their grades. Tai had fallen into the latter category, and Emille, the former.

Hope's Peak Academy had an excellent first year of operation, and Tai already missed the warm welcome of the school building, like the embrace of an old friend. Genuine excitement had stirred in him when he thought about his second year at Hope's Peak. However, if he even wanted to consider signing up for his desired classes, he had to fix his grades. And when he noticed the advertisement that the academy was offering summer school lessons amongst his mail, he jumped to the opportunity.

"Hey-" Tai glanced at Emille. "You don't think this has something to do with the summer school, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I-I received a paper in the mail, something about Hope's Peak running summer school lessons for those who struggle with grades."

"How does th-"

"How do we know it was _actually_ from Hope's Peak?" Tai shouted before letting out an exasperated groan. "I'm such an idiot! I got tricked into becoming bait for someone's fucked up conspiracy!"

"Don't sell yourself short." Emille said slyly. "They all did the same as you." He casually gestured towards the dazed crowd of students.

"Shouldn't we....regroup?"

"Sounds like a good idea. After all, we don't want them killing us first." With a small chuckle and a nudge, Tai’s friend strutted over to the others, straying to the far left.

Finally, Tai moved forward, trying to look as casual as possible. He received one or two odd looks but other than that he managed to slink right back into the group of teens. All eyes turned to the stage as a set of expensive looking spotlights flicked on, one side a beaming white, and the other a harsh red. Cheerful music blasted from the circumference of the room, coming from a seemingly unknown source. Tai tried to pinpoint the music's source, but since it sounded as if it were coming from every direction, it was futile.

"Is th-"

Before the student could finish, a blur of black and white ejected itself from behind the stage. A bear like creature with the facade of a soft and cuddly appearance bounced from side to side on the podium as soon as it landed. Tai stared at the creature, everyone falling silent.

 _"Weeeeeeeeeelcome!"_ The thing bellowed in a high, chipper voice. "Gosh it's so great to see ya! So many talented students ripe and ready for pure, unadulterated despair!" The last few words came out as a ecstatic growl, followed by mad cackling. "Betcha you're all wondering what you're doing here, huh?"

The creature was met with even more stunned silence.

"Well aren't cha?" The bear prodded, tilting it's head to the side.

"No." A cold voice cut through the crowd. The students stared at the lone person who dared challenge the sentient toy.  
  
The thing raised a paw to it's muzzle, as if curious. "Hm?"

The voice was low and quiet, yet the student's identity was shielded by a light gray hood. Tai craned his neck to get a better look at the Hope's Peak attendee, just barely able to make out long wisps of hair sticking out from beneath the hood. "This is a killing game, isn't it?" It sounded more as if they were asking for confirmation rather than a lost one seeking answers.  
  
"Upupupupu~ You're clever. You musta heard a _loooot_ about it at your school, eh?"

"I have." The response was firm, unwavering.

"..."

Tai was surprised. Had they genuinely stunned the bear into silence?

"Well it must be your lucky day, because you are absolutely correct!" A set of screens lowered on either side of the stage, slick and new. Now that he thought about it, what was all this new technology doing in this crummy place? There was no doubt that the mastermind must have set all this up. The sick, twisted person beneath what would soon become unending bloodshed spent days, possibly weeks to set their plan into execution.

The students flinched when the screens flicked to life, showing pure static for a few moments. Suddenly, the picture came into view. It was a cartoon cutout of the same monochromatic bear slowly waving at the audience.

"Allow me to introduce myself, although I'm sure some of you may already know of me!"

The cartoon showed text slowly being lowered into frame, resting just above the small bears head. The animated creature waved it's arms back and forth at the name displayed before it.

 _"I am Monokuma!"_ It stated happily. "Everything you say or do will be monitored by me personally! And if there are any objections..." A clawed paw was raised upwards as the bear attempted to look as threatening as could possibly manage.

"Wait so, we're being watched?" A girl exclaimed, glancing all around the room with nervous eyes.

"Yep.” Monokuma sighed. "Right now, you're in the main lobby. Behind me are two hallways on either side. The left hallway leads to the left wing of this building, Building A, and I don't think I have to tell you where the right wing leads to. If your confused, have a map!" A map flashed on screen, color coded with walls of text. "Study it carefully, because it won’t be up there for long!"

Tai would've thought about the fact that someone like him wouldn't need a map, that part of the adventure was navigating one's own path, but his mind had gone blank. This was real. After hearing of such horrors, he had personally been appointed as a participant in the killing game. Monokuma's lengthy explanation of the map of the map drowned away in his head, leaving nothing but absolute terror in it's wake.

"And if you take another right down the main hall of the right wing, you'll find yourself in Building B. That's where the....accomodations are."

"Accomodations?"

"Bedrooms! The cafeteria! The whole shabang!" It shouted, as if agitated by all these questions. "There's a pool too, but, the thing's drained and busted, sorry 'bout that." Monokuma's head lowered, expressing disappointment. "Anywho, don't worry about getting all choosy, because your rooms have been assigned with their very own personal labels! Oh and another thing..."

The screens suddenly went dark before humming back to life. The quality of the picture had deteriorated, but the image could be identified through the static filter. In the darkness, a lone stairwell stood in the middle of a hallway, rotting in silence. A chain blocked it's entrance with a lock in the shape of a bear's head. "There's much, _much_ to explore in both these buildings. But if you even think about going onto the third floor in Building B, there will be major, major consequences."

"What kind of consequences?" A small boy piped up.

 **"MAJOR!!!"** The bear shouted. **"SO UNBELIEVABLY MAJOR YOU'LL WISH YOU HADN'T SURVIVED!!!!"**

The young teen shrunk back, a terrified whimper leaving him.

"Now then, there are currently sixteen of you in total. Wanna escape? Then start killing! There can only be one true winner!"

"Or we could simply not kill each other." The gray hooded student suggested.

"Not....kill?" The toy burst into another laughing fit. "Oh that's funny! Someone will crack, eventually. All that hope will dwindle until there's nothing left but despair. And in that despair, you'll snap. Killing will be your only option if you even want a chance of getting out alive. That's how these damn games have always been! Even the most hope filled students can be sent over the edge if given the right push!"

"Why does it sound so angry all of a sudden?" Tai whispered. A short girl who had been standing by his side responded.

"Not sure. This is it's game, can't imagine why it'd be so miffed."

The gray hooded student went silent again, head lowering towards the ground.

"Since you're all so interested, I'll lay down some basic rules, and then we'll get to the.... _additions._ " Once again, the screen changed back to the monochromatic cartoon bear. Except there were more than one this time. One bear held a knife, while the other was laying still on the floor wth "X"s over it's eyes, implying it was deceased.

"If-" Monokuma paused. " _Once_ a murder is committed you all will be alerted immediately. You'll have a certain amount of time to gather clues and evidence before the class trial." The scenery changed, now showing a courtroom. The judge and jury were all the same smiling bear just like before. "If the blackened is discovered and you all vote correctly, then they will be executed. Vote wrong, and everyone else is executed while the blackened gets to go free. Are we clear on that?"

"How the hell do you expect us to start mauling each other?" An angry voice called out.

"It's only a matter of time, believe me."

"H-Hey!" Tai finally spoke up. "How c-can we trust you? You're not even the real Monokuma! A-Aren't you like some kinda cheap knockoff?"

"Knockoff? Knockoff??? I am a professional grade Monobear ya little punk! I've just been....rewired to fit my own personal mastermind's needs! I may not have the same parts but I am just the same as any other Monokuma out there!!!"

With that answer, Tai went quiet again. How on earth had the mastermind obtained something of that nature? Let alone rebuild and reprogram it?

"Why did he even bother asking that?" He heard one voice whisper.

"Bet he'll be killed first?"

"Nah it'll probably be that scrawny chick." another answered

The gnawing terror became an insufferable gashing at his stomach. Already, these students were discussing the game as if someone were going to actively participate. But that was crazy talk, right? There was no way these students built on a foundation of hope for the future would ever commit such a heinous act. Didn't their headmaster tell them enough horror stories about how a killing game would occur? That a single death only lead to a domino effect of even more death?

"Before you're all sent to your rooms, there is.... _one more thing._ " A low, maniacal giggle left Monokuma's muzzle, far more sinister than the rest. "There are monitors installed all throughout both buildings."

The screens switched back to the camera feed, showing monitors hooked up in multiple locations. From what they could tell, the monitors showed what looked to be the bear's beaming red right eye on top of a black screen. "Every hour, three of these monitors will go off at random. The contents within the video "brainwash" the user into a state of despair, along with the urge to commit suicide. But I won't give any handouts, no siree!" It pointed into the crowd. "If you wanna take your life, better get creative!"

Tai was already counting the monitors that were being shown through the camera feed. In a single hall alone there were at least three or four lined on either side.

"What? There's dozens of them! How the hell are we supposed to avoid them?"  
  
"Hm? Oh right. The only thing I have to say to that is...." There was a long pause, and for a moment Tai thought it wasn't going to answer. Then, it finished it's statement, leaving a foreboding chill in the room along with it. "You'll have to leave it to luck. Now off to your rooms! All of you! Don't make me chase ya! You want me to chase ya? Cause I will! These short stubby legs can do wonders don't even try and underestimate me!"

The students took off to the right wing in an unorganized fashion. Some of them walked slowly, heads hung low as they tried to process what they had gotten into. There were few who were fueled by adrenaline and fear however, and made a mad dash for the rows of bedrooms, as if it would be their safe zone from now until the game's end. Tai dragged himself along, falling far behind. As he passed, he spotted the gray hooded figure move past him. He blinked, seeming to snap out of his shocked haze.

"H-Hey, wai-" He extended an arm, but was quickly pulled back by a hard tug on the back of his shirt.

"Ey, Tai what're you doing?" Emille questioned, his lip pouted in confusion. "Don't go fraternizing with the enemy."

"E-Enemy?"

"You don't know what any of these guys could do," His tone shifted at the drop of a dime. "You get all personal with them, and then....they betray you. Do not trust anyone, understand?"

The other teen ran a hand through his black hair and pulled free from Emille's grip. "Emille-"

 _"Anyone."_ Emille repeated, his emerald stare not leaving Tai's.

"I..." In this cruel game he had subjected to, Emille was his only window of comfort. He was the only person he truly knew here, and although a troublemaker, if Emille had something of importance to share, he'd say it. He closed his eyes and forced a smile. "Alright. I-I'll try not to get too chummy with anyone."

"There we go," Emille gestured with his hands to make little finger guns. "After all, wouldn't want my friend up and replacing me."

 _"Tch._ Not gonna happen." Tai slung his arm over the blonde's shoulder and pulled him in close. "Promise me we'll both survive?"

"Oh definitely. Not a chance in hell I'll die."

"Good to know." The momentary happy demeanor died away as soon as it had came. “But, what are we gonna do? What about our families Emille? Wh-What about the academy, they'll have to realize eventually!"

 _"Just-"_ Emille huffed, dipping his hands into his pockets as he thought it over. "I'll see what I can do. Maybe I could snoop around. This place definitely has a satellite signal if all those screens are functional. So maybe there's more equipment like that laying around."

"Can't you just build your own?" Tai looked back at his friend. Considering he was the "Ultimate Tech Support", it was apparent that the boy would know a thing or two in regards to digital based instruments.

"That...might take a while." Emille shied away from Tai. "B-But maybe if there's enough scrap lying around I'm sure I could make something."

"Emille, listen. Regardless of how long it takes, I know we're going to make it out of here. And hopefully, all of us will."

"I wouldn't count on that, but...you've got good enthusiasm."

"Honestly I'm just trying not to freak out right now. S-So talking about anything is really c-c-calming my nerves."

"Mhm," Emille gently patted his friend's back. "Get a move Explorer, on or the only thing that's gonna be explored is your autopsy."

Tai chuckled nervously at the offhanded joke and quickened his pace. Humor wouldn't help the situation right now, or for a long while. As he veered to the right he found himself in a long hallway with the rest of the students, a large set of double doors resting at the end. The hall was narrow, with a single room on the left side with a small window installed beside it. The lights flickered and sputtered above the nervous students as they fumbled to open the doors. Ancient metal hinges creaked and scraped as they were pried open, rust flaking away from the door. Tai shuddered at that. He remembered a particular incident where he had gone exploring in an abandoned mill. He had cut himself on a metal ladder, and was straddled with symptoms of lockjaw for a week. He did not want a repeat of last time, especially now. It would be ridiculous if he died of a disease in a game all about murder. Hopefully the rest of the area was mildly sanitized so that the students wouldn't drop like flies from all the potential disease.

Everyone shuffled inside, finding themselves in yet another hall. This one was much wider, with evenly spaced doors on either side. They pushed past one another as they glanced at the nameplates next to the doors. Tai however, was having trouble. His lack of glasses left him nearsighted. He slowly walked down, looking at any of the nameplates of the rooms that hadn't been taken. He came to a stop at the seventh door on the right, his name engraved into a strip of metal. Only then did he realize how peculiar that was. So, the mastermind knew them? Or had they stolen their personal information? Tai didn't have his wallet, so he assumed the same for his peers. But, this looked as if it had taken weeks into cleaning and planning. Were the nameplates a last minute addition?

Sighing, Tai opened his door, noticing that the handle was clean and new. The interior had matched luckily. He was pleasantly surprised that the room was spacious, with all the basic needs laid out before him. His bed was in the far corner, the sheets freshly made and neatly laid out. The only negative of the room's clean facade, were that the fresh coat of paint clearly couldn't get rid of the underlying years of stains built up, leaving blotchy imprints on the walls. Tai twisted the lock to his door before slowly approaching the bed like it were some sleeping beast that would attack at the slightest noise. He feared that the furniture would have metal spikes suddenly jut out from beneath the floor and end his life before the game had even started. From the stories he tuned into from his headmaster, Junko would occasionally not play fair, intervening now and again.  
  
He reached out a hand and pressed it into the mattress, his palm rubbing against soft cotton. He pushed down harder this time. Still cautious, he draped one knee onto the bed before moving the other. He remained still before bouncing slightly, giving it a final test. His racing heart steadied back to it’s normal pace. As of now, this was most likely the safest place in the whole building. He sighed and laid down, sprawling his limbs out. He stared at the blank white ceiling, wondering when the students would be rescued. If they'd be rescued at all...

Perhaps sleep was for the best. Who knows, maybe if he fell asleep he'd wake up and realize that all of this was just a dream, and that he was still at home, going over a brochure for Hope's Peak Academy after school lessons.

_What a shame that in truth, it would be the start of a living nightmare._


End file.
